As data center professionals across the globe work to meet growing enterprise needs, they face the dilemma of storing more data in the same footprint while also reducing power and HVAC consumption. The new Ultrastar™ A7K2000 provides twice the data storage capacity of the prior generation Ultrastar A7K1000 drive, and does so using fewer watts. It is now possible to achieve a colossal 1.2 petabytes (PB) in the footprint of a standard 19-inch enterprise storage rack by deploying the 2TB A7K2000 in a stack of ten 4U, 60-bay enclosures.

Combining 7200 RPM performance and granular power control

Operating at 7200 RPM, the Hitachi Ultrastar A7K2000 offers better overall performance than slower-RPM, capacity-oriented drives at impressively low power-consumption rates. When compared to the previous generation Ultrastar A7K1000, the A7K2000 offers up to a 155% improvement in sustained data transfer rate, and a 120% improvement in watts-per-GB. With five Advanced Power Management modes, a 36% reduction in watts during low-RPM idle mode, and using less than 1W during standby/sleep mode, the Ultrastar A7K2000 can help data centers achieve lower AC power and HVAC requirements, freeing up precious headroom for growing enterprise needs

Enhancing data safety and security

To ensure the utmost in data safety and security, the Ultrastar A7K2000 is also available with a bulk data encryption (BDE) option. When enabled, the Hitachi BDE implementation encrypts all data on the drive using a private security key as it is written to the disk, and then decrypts it with the key as it is retrieved, giving users an extreme level of data protection. Unlike softwarebased encryption solutions, the Hitachi BDE implementation is hardware-based, so it doesn’t slow the system down. This technology also speeds up and simplifies the drive re-deployment and decommissioning process. By deleting the encryption key, the data is rendered unreadable, thereby eliminating the need for time-consuming, multi-pattern data overwrite.

Delivering industry-leading reliability

With a robust fourth-generation mechanical design, Ultrastar A7K2000 is specifically built and tested for the enterprise. The Ultrastar SATA drive family features Hitachi-patented Rotational Vibration Safeguard (RVS) sensor technology, which optimizes drive reliability in multi-drive RAID arrays and rack-mounted systems. Backed by a five-year warranty, the Ultrastar platform has earned Hitachi a reputation among server and storage vendors as a global partner dedicated to delivering the highest quality and reliability in the industry.

Innovation for a more sustainable environment

The Ultrastar A7K2000 demonstrates Hitachi ecological leadership with its halogen-free design and power-efficient operation. Both these features serve to qualify the drive for the Hitachi EcoTrac classification, which identifies products that minimize environmental impact in the areas of product design, manufacturing, operation and disposal.